floating vote

American  

noun

1. those voters collectively who are not permanently attached to any political party.

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Other Word Forms

• floating voter noun

Etymology

Origin of floating vote

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Labour strategists, fearful that the middle-class “floating vote” that brought the party three victories under Mr. Blair is deserting them, are facing the prospect of ending up with little more than the core vote of traditional Labour supporters.

From New York Times

Naturally, the floating vote will hope for Portsmouth to strike a blow for the impoverished underdog against Tottenham.

From The Guardian

The decisive vote is the "floating" vote which can be polled only by distributing, or allowing to be distributed, money for the precinct organizers.

From Time Magazine Archive

But the emergence of the neutralist "floating vote" as the decisive force at the U.N. was something the U.S. could only welcome.

From Time Magazine Archive

Tens of thousands of our partizans, longing for an excuse for staying with us, returned cheering to the ranks—enough of them in the doubtful states, we believed, to restore the floating vote to its usual balance of power.

From Project Gutenberg